


Burning Bright

by Bittodeath



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 10:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6701956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bittodeath/pseuds/Bittodeath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jean has to make a choice: will he go to the Military Police and follow Marco, or choose Eren and go to the Survey Corps?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burning Bright

“You can’t sleep?”  
“It’s too late to fight, Eren”, answered Jean in a muffled voice without turning around.  
“Oh?”

Eren came closer, leaned against Jean and circled his waist with his arms. Jean stiffened, then he relaxed and leaned his head against Eren’s.

“The stars are beautiful”, muttered Jean, looking at the starry night sky.

There was a silence, then Eren asked:

“Have you made your choice?”  
“Are you guys making out without waiting for me?” interrupted a cheerful voice behind them.

They turned around to see Marco standing there, all smiles. Though they were all wearing their pyjamas, none of them seemed to notice. After all, it was late at night. The curfew was long past and if they were caught there, things could turn quite grim. But it was not their major problem.

“Marco”, said Jean as he smiled. “We missed you.”

They laughed, and Marco closed the distance between them and held Jean’s hand. Jean looked at his cheerful face, his freckles, his dark eyes and his black hair. He was always smiling, comforting, and Jean couldn’t believe how much he loved him. Eren tightened his grip on his body and he looked at him. With his brown hair and green eyes, he was a pure beauty. He was so committed, so determined, it made Jean’s heart flutter. He looked at them both and his heart tightened.

“What’s wrong, Jean?” asked Marco as he spotted the hint of sadness on his face.  
“It’s tomorrow”, he simply said in a soft voice.

They all fell silent. Tomorrow. Time had passed so fast. They couldn’t believe it.

“Have you made your choice?” Eren finally asked once more.  
“You don’t have to tell us, Jean. It is your life. It is your choice. Think carefully about it.” He peered into his eyes and smiled sadly. “I won’t ever resent you for choosing the Survey Corps.”  
“Marco…”  
“We have to fight, Jean. Humanity needs you. And I… I need you”, said Eren.  
“Eren…”

He tightened his fist. Why couldn’t they be all the three of them together, as it had been the past three years? Why did he have to choose? Why couldn’t he have both?

He looked at them. It was not as if they didn’t accept each other. Both Marco and Eren liked and respect each other, they were friends, and though they would fight over Jean, in the end, there was too much love between the three of them to part them.

But tomorrow… They would eventually part. Eren had made it obvious that he would enter the Survey Corps, no matter what. Jean was no reason to abandon his dream. And Marco… Well, Marco knew he would enter the Military Police. It was what he longed for. In the end, it all depended on Jean’s choice.

At first, he thought about entering the Military Police. He did not want to die. But later, things had gotten a bit more complicated. And now… Well, as much as he loved Eren, deep inside of him, he had made his choice. He would preserve his life and spend it comfortably with Marco. It was better than a life of insecurity with a suicidal who could die at any moment.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to tell it to Eren. He looked at his green eyes that were burning bright with the fire of his rage. Eren leaned to him and whispered in his ear:

“I know you’ve made a choice, Jean. And I know you chose Marco.”

Jean straightened and looked at him dead in the eyes. Eren’s hand stroked his cheek and he murmured:

“Let’s make good memories in our last moments together.”

Jean held the hand on his cheek and smiled softly. He then turned to Marco and said out loud:

“Let’s go to bed.”

He took both of their hands and led them to the dormitory. It was pitch black, with the sound of heavy breathing: everyone was sound asleep. They walked blindly through the room to their mattresses. Jean laid down, Eren cuddled against him and Marco, his head on his chest, entwined his fingers with his. Jean put his hands on their heads, feeling their warmth surrounding him.

Something cold and wet touched his arm and he realized that Eren was crying silently. Usually it happened after he’d had a nightmare, seeing once more his mother being devoured by a titan. Jean would comfort him as he could, holding him tight against him. This time, it was something different. He didn’t say a word but buried his face into his hair. He had a hard time getting to sleep that night.

 

**********

 

The fire was burning high and bright, and Jean looked at his palm, dumfounded. He was holding ashes, and a white piece of bone. Why did it have to happen? He kept wondering. He closed his fist on the ashes. _I don’t even no which are your bones anymore, Marco._ His gentle, freckled face was smiling to him. _“We will enter the Military Police together”_ , he’d said once, _“and we’ll share a room. We’ll always be together, Jean.”_

His sobs hurt his chest. And Eren… Eren was being held captive somewhere, since he was a titan. He probably didn’t know Marco was dead. When Jean needed him more than ever, he was not there. He had lost all at once. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he looked at the flames. Eren was still alive.

He held on to it. Eren was still alive. He could make it. And for Marco. Marco wanted him to be happy no matter what. Being by Eren’s side in the Survey Corps would be his way to fulfil this wish. He still hadn’t officially made a choice. He stood up, sobbing but willing to say what was his wish.

“Have you made a choice?” he said through his tears. “As for me, I will enter the Survey Corps.”

 

_And when we die, we’ll be all together. All the three of us._

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it, don't hesitate to comment and everything!


End file.
